Congress Responds to the Tragedy in Tucson

The nation is still reeling in the aftermath of last Saturday’s shooting rampage in Tucson, which left 6 people dead and 18 people, including Congresswomen Giffords (D, AZ-8), seriously injured.

The response of politicians, pundits, and other public figures has been varied, ranging from Sarah Palin’s highly criticized speech, in which she defended her own behavior and political rhetoric, to President Barack Obama’s well-received memorial address, in which he emphasized the need for civility and compassion.

The general public’s response to the shootings has also been divided: On one hand, the Community Food Bank of Tucson, Arizona, one of Rep. Giffords’s favorite charities, received over $18,000 in donations in the first seven hours after her husband referred to the organization in a statement on the shooting. On the other hand, Timothy Williams of the New York Times reports that firearms sales in Arizona have drastically increased over the last few days, most likely due to fears that Saturday’s shootings will result in a push for stricter gun control laws.

In Congress, reactions to the events in Tucson have been just as varied, particularly on the subject of gun control. Since the shooting, there has been a recent outpouring of support for stricter gun control laws, with a particular emphasis on the need to introduce legislation to ban extended-round ammunition clips, such as those used by shooter Jared Loughner in Tucson.

Representative Peter King (R-NY-3) plans to introduce a bill that would prohibit people from carrying a gun within 1,000 feet of government officials. In response to Representative King’s proposal, a New York Times editorial, titled “Not Just for Lawmakers,” asks:

But how about going a step further and prohibiting the carrying of a semiautomatic weapon around 9-year-old girls? Or 79-year-old women? Or any of the other victims who were shot down in the Tucson parking lot on Saturday?

While perhaps well-intentioned, Representative King’s legislation seems to be missing the point.

However, Representative Louie Gohmert (R, TX-1), who “recently signaled his intention to submit a piece of legislation that would make exceptions to a number of firearms laws by allowing members of Congress to carry guns in D.C. and even into the Capitol building, including the chamber floors,” is even further off the mark.

The House of Representatives postponed its entire legislative agenda, including the vote to repeal the health care reform law, for a week, instead opting to pass a resolution to honor those killed and injured in the shooting. The vote on health care, which is expected to be particularly divisive, has been rescheduled for Tuesday, January 18.

In response to allegations that heated and aggressive political rhetoric may have been a contributing factor in the Tucson shooting, certain politicians and public figures have called for more civil discourse in political discussions on controversial subjects. Others, however, question whether or not this will be possible in the upcoming congressional battle on health care reform.

Will Congress take a “toned down” approach to this week’s (and future) debates or will it just be business as usual? Only time will tell.